Day 2 of Event #29: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em will kick off at the renowned Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas at the 2025 World Series of Poker. Today, a stacked field will try their luck at joining the gold bracelet club or adding to their collection of bracelets.
Three Americans are at the top of the leader board heading into Day 2, with the chip leader being Sheldon Gross with 761,000 chips, but he will still have his work cut out for him in this talented field. There were 1,493 hopeful entries by the end of late registration, but only 225 players bagged at the end of the night. The total prize pool collected was $3,321,925.
Two players are hot on Gross’s heels, Daniel Lee (755,000) and Gregory Brown (743,000). All of the top three players are looking to add a gold bracelet to their resume, and the first-place prize of $496,826 would also uplevel their poker status.
Day 1 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheldon Gross | United States | 761,000 | 95 |
| 2 | Daniel Lee | United States | 755,000 | 94 |
| 3 | Gregory Brown | United States | 743,000 | 93 |
| 4 | Bin Weng | United States | 724,000 | 91 |
| 5 | Kevin Andriamahefa | United States | 721,000 | 90 |
| 6 | Mans Montgomery | United States | 713,000 | 89 |
| 7 | Seunghyun Nam | United States | 679,000 | 85 |
| 8 | Ian O'Hara | United States | 674,000 | 84 |
| 9 | Ryan Wolfson | United States | 664,000 | 83 |
| 10 | Steven Forman | United States | 660,000 | 83 |
The tournament came to a dramatic close last night right on the stone-cold bubble, meaning just one unfortunate player will miss out on a payday this morning. The remaining 224 players are all guaranteed at least $5,020. Several short stacks will be returning to the felt, including England’s Benjamin Dobson (67,000), French pro Erwann Pecheux (26,000), and PokerNews podcaster Mike Holtz (11,000). They’ll have their work cut out for them, but as every poker player knows, all it takes is a chip and a chair to make a comeback—and sometimes, even win it all.
Several high-profile professionals have advanced to Day 2, where they will be fiercely competing for the coveted bracelet and prize money. Poker coach and 25K draft pick Brock Wilson returns with 127,000 in chips, while bracelet winners Christian Roberts (520,000), Faraz Jaka (446,000), Daniel Lazarus(247,000), Thomas Cazayous (207,000), Tommy Nguyen (122,000), and Chris Moorman (119,000) are heading into familiar territory—ready for battle.
Other notable players returning include Bin Weng, who brings a formidable stack of 724,000 and over $9 million in career earnings, making him a tough opponent at the tables. Also returning are renowned author and coach Michael Acevedo (138,000), and poker coach and celebrity Lexy Gavin-Mather (75,000)—all with their eyes on the prestigious bracelet.
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $496,826 | 18-26 | $17,693 |
| 2 | $331,163 | 27-35 | $14,678 |
| 3 | $238,204 | 36-44 | $12,349 |
| 4 | $173,435 | 45-53 | $10,539 |
| 5 | $127,841 | 54-62 | $9,125 |
| 6 | $95,415 | 63-71 | $8,017 |
| 7 | $72,119 | 72-80 | $7,149 |
| 8 | $55,212 | 81-89 | $6,472 |
| 9 | $42,819 | 90-98 | $5,950 |
| 10-11 | $33,646 | 99-125 | $5,556 |
| 12-13 | $26,793 | 126-152 | $5,271 |
| 14-17 | $21,624 | 153-224 | $5,020 |
Surviving players return to the Horseshoe in the red section at noon local time on June 9. As levels will be an hour long, only 10 levels are planned for the second day. Play will begin in level 18 with ten minutes remaining on the clock, and blinds will be 5,000/10,000 with an 10,000 big blind ante. Fifteen-minute breaks occur every two levels, plus a 60-minute dinner break after Level 23 (~6:30 p.m.). PokerNews will update the start time for Day 3 as soon as the information becomes available.
Be sure to stick with PokerNews as we continue to bring you all the no-limit action leading to the final table and eventual next bracelet winner!
